The invention relates generally to metal forming, and more particularly, to automated thermal forming processes and systems.
Steel and, to a lesser extent, aluminum are the structural materials of choice for most fabricating, although it will be appreciated that other types of metals are often used in fabrication as well. Consequently, metal bending and metal forming operations will continue to be of significant importance to fabricators. As quality and productivity requirements increase, automated systems will be required to meet those demands. Today, the fabricating industry depends on manual processes, such as line heating, spot heating, mechanical bending, press brakes, and manually operated equipment for most metal forming operations. One major fabricating industry is the shipbuilding industry; consequently, shipbuilding examples are included in this description. However, other fabricating industries will benefit from the automated thermal forming processes and systems described herein.